RIVARA
The first urgent interventions for the safety of the bell tower of the chapel of San Grato, located in the Ponte region, along the road that connects Rivara to Barbania, will start in the next few days in Rivara.
On August 20, the mayor, Roberto Andriollo, signed an ordinance that imposes a ban on ringing the bells of the characteristic church building in order to avoid an aggravation of the precarious static situation of the bell tower of the church itself. The order was delivered to the president of the Amici di San Grato di Rivara association, Marisa Donetti Dontin. The association takes care of the management and care of the village chapel. In the event of non-compliance with the trade union ordinance, the pecuniary sanction ranges from a minimum of 25 to a maximum of 500 euros.
«After extensive research to understand if the chapel of San Grato was owned by the municipality, the Curia, the parish rather than private – explains the first citizen of Rivara -, it was identified that it belongs to the Municipality. The bell tower has structural problems, in order to be able to intervene urgently it was necessary to issue the ordinance that prohibits ringing the bells as the bell tower itself is at risk of collapse. We have entrusted a project for the safety of the bell tower which amounts to 12 thousand euros. Furthermore, with the Amici di San Grato di Rivara association, which takes care of the chapel, we will enter into an agreement similarly to what happened with the Badia dei Quaranta del Drapò which takes care of the chapel of San Giovanni Decollato, a building of worship too. owned by the municipality. The emergency safety measures of the San Grato bell tower will start in the next few days. The various chapels scattered throughout the territory of Rivara represent a heritage not to be lost that must be safeguarded ».
The construction of the chapel of San Grato dates back to the early 17th century. With a rectangular plan with a single hall, it is divided into two ribbed vaulted bays, a third, on the south-east side, is occupied by the sacristy. In the center of the façade, San Grato and the Madonna d’Oropa are painted. –